It’s what I call the “Hong Kong pace” where people do not dilly dally. They get focused and they do the work without distractions. If you visit Hong Kong, you will notice a HUGE difference in the work ethic of workers like a cashier in the supermarket or a waiter in a restaurant. Everything is about getting you in and out so you can gain time and do more.
This was instilled in me early on and I am thankful that I can “speed up” if I need to, but I can also slow down when I need to. Thanks to my yoga practice, though, you will find me more often the doer rather than the rester!
I have four children, ages 9, 6 and twin 4.5 year olds. I’m also a full-time serial entrepreneur, tackling the speaker role, the Executive TV producer role, the business mentor role, the speaking coach role, the angel investor role, the author role, and of course the CEO role.
So many things can happen on a daily basis with the children, with schedules not aligning, with business issues. But I don’t sweat the small stuff. And I let the children make their mistakes so they can learn. I also don’t coddle them.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I wake up happy. How? I take my life with a grain of salt and I’m just constantly grateful for everything that I am blessed with.
Sure, life during the coronavirus self-quarantine months has made things tougher. I have never had to take on the 24/7 duty as a mother and a business woman job simultaneously, non-stop, from the moment my eyes open in the morning till they close at night.
We weren’t used to all being home ALL DAY EVERY DAY together. And no time for date nights or alone time with my husband. YET it has been somewhat eye-opening that it’s OK not to have a babysitter or cleaning ladies or having to take children to school or summer camps. We are all just fine together at home! Watching my children grow everyday and getting to see my husband everyday for the past almost five months has truly been a blessing.
I have had to sacrifice time with my children to achieve what I’ve achieved. I’ve flown all over the world for speaking events which meant I couldn’t be with my kids. Every entrepreneur’s goal, of course, should be to have many streams of passive income so you no longer have to trade time for money. That is why I love investing.
No matter what, you SHOULD NOT feel guilty for choosing to be an entrepreneur and a parent.
For many years, I was a full-time mom, side-kicking with my yoga-inspired clothing company. After I sold the company, I decided to dive deep into investing in myself and I hired an amazing mentor who changed the trajectory of my career.
It was through this that I found myself – my own identity – again.
I encourage every mother out there, whether your children are newborns or in their teens, to just find your own identity because your children will grow up and you need to have something to call your own, too.
Through my business The Yes Academy, I have become a mentor for women everywhere. Some women want to have children but they’re not sure if they should leave their corporate jobs. Others who’ve had children are not sure if they should go back to the 9-to-5 grind in corporate America.
I’ve found that a lot of women don’t have the guts to come out and do their own thing. That’s why I take on the role of cheerleader. I’m the one who says, ‘Go ahead and do it. This is what I did!’
As a seed investor, I like to encourage women (and men) to start up their own thing. Because if you truly want to be rich you can’t be working for someone else!
My work as the President of the the Women’s Economic Forum Los Angeles Chapter is so rewarding because I’m able to help and inspire women who want to leave their paycheck-to-paycheck job, find more confidence, or become a speaker.
Overall, my mission is to make a positive impact for women who have lost their self-confidence and identity and need to find themselves again. I believe that every woman in this world is an expert in something. So even if you don’t call yourself a speaker, you have the power to go out there and speak your message and inspire others.
I also have another goal that drives me every day: I want to show my children that no matter what, they can make anything happen.
Didi Wong is an International Multiple Award-Winning Keynote Speaker, Business Mentor, Angel Investor, Venture Capitalist, Serial Entrepreneur, Interior Designer, and Best-Selling Author.